Coin display device



United States Patent Inventor Leonard E. Austin 512 S. Cortez, Prescott,Ariz. 8630] Appl. No. 632,303

Filed Apr. 20, I967 Patented Dec. 29, I970 COIN DISPLAY DEVICE 4 Claims,5 Drawing Figs.

U.S. Cl 221/262, 221/2101350/244 Int. Cl B65g 59/00 Field of Search350/238,

243, 244; 356/30; 221/210, 220, 262; 1 33/( lnquired) References CitedUNITED STATES PATENTS Woodruff Chromy Wexler Methot Clate PrimaryExaminer-David Schonberg Assixtan! Examiner-Michael J. TokarAttorney-William P. Hickey ABSTRACT: A coin display device whichfacilitates removal of a coin from a magazine for observation anddelivery to another magazine.

COIN DISPLAY DEVICE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION It is necessary for coincollectors to examine coins for cer- I tain detail in order to make adetermination as to the worth of the coin. A coin collector must examinemany coins before he finds one having value to him as a collector.Heretofore, coin collectors have spread a plurality of coins out on aflat surface and have then moved a magnifying glassbackwards andforwards across the surface to inspect each coin individually. The

coins have then been turned over to expose their opposite sides and theprocess repeated. This has been a time consuming process and has limitedthe number of coins which a collector could examine in a search for acoin-having particular markings.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a displaydevice which will facilitate the individual removal of a coin from amagazine to bring it to a location for optical inspection followingwhich it is discharged to a magazine for holding the rejects. The deviceprovides optimum optical conditions for observation of the coins. Thedevice includes jaws havinga configuration permitting their entry into amagazine, and the automatic removal 3 of one coin from the magazine. Thejaws'are'supported on a reciprocable spindle, and the device furtherincludes mechanism which automatically opens the jaws at a properposition for discharging the coins into a reject magazine. Guide meansare preferably also provided which assures proper rotational alignmentof the jaws both when removing a coin from the supply magazine, and whendischarging the coin into the reject magazine.

. An object of the invention is theprovision of a new and improveddisplay device for coins and the like which will properly align andpermit rotation of the coin beneath an optical viewer for examinationpurposes, and which will facilitate rapid movement'of individual coinsfrom a supply magazine to the location beneath the optical viewer, aswell as the quick and orderly discharge of rejected coins into adischarge magazine. r

A further object of the invention is the provision of a new and improveddevice of the above described type having guide means for a jaw supportspindle which necessitates rotation of the jaws when moved axially inone direction past the display position, but which will permit a'xialmovement without rotation in the display position when moved in theopposite axial direction. Further objects and advantages of theinvention will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which itrelates from the following description of the preferred embodimentdescribed with reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part ofthis specification.

. magazine 12 has a slot 18 therein in its sidewalls immediately posedto the outside of the magazine for reasons which will DESCRIPTION OF THEDRAWINGS FIG. I is a front elevational view of the preferred embodimentof the invention;

FIG. 2 is an end elevational view of the embodiment shown I in FIG. 1; 1

' FIG. '3 is an enlarged sectional view taken approximately on the line3-3 of FIG. I;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view taken approximately {on the line4-4 of FIG. 2 and showing another embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken approximately on the line 5-5of FIG. 4.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The embodiment shown in thedrawings generally comprises a pedestal 10 which supports a tubular coinmagazine 12 at its upper end. The coin magazine 12 is closed off at itslower end by a magazine base 14 which fits into a suitable 16 in theupper end of the pedestal. The tubular coin above the magazine base 14.The slot 18 is only slightly wider" than the thickness of the coin whichthe magazine is intended to hold, and the slot extends around theperiphery of the magazine for approximately 220, so that more thanone-half of a coin positioned at the bottom of the magazine will beexlater be apparent. v

' Coins positioned in the magazine 12 oppositethe slot '18- adapted tobe removed by a pair of thin jaws 20 that at formed by cooperating endportions of crossing levers in dicated generally at 22 and whicharepinned at their pointof crossing and to the end of a spindle"2 6 'by apin 24. In the embodiment shown, the end of the spindle 26 is providedwith a U sha'ped bracket 28 whose legs 30 extend'axially over oppositesides of the levers and through which the pin 24'-ex- I tends. Thespindle 26 is supported from a portion 32 of the pedestal by a brassbushing 30 that is so positioned as to guide the spindle for axialmovement directly toward and away from the slot 18. In the embodimentshown the bushing 30 projects through a suitable opening 34 in thepedestal portion 32 and is clamped in place by means of a setscrw 36.

The ends of the jaws 20 are provided. ith V-shaped projec tions 38 forthe purpose of camming'ove r the major diameter of a coin positioned inthe slot 18. The endsurface 40 of the V is tapered so as to slide upover the side edge of a eoin until the: apex passes the major diameterof the coin, a d thereafter the taper provides clearance with theendsurfac of the slot 18.-

The inner surface 42 of the V is shaped to engagetli'e edge of the coinvon the opposite side of its major diameter from the spindle 26, whileanother abutment 44 engages another edge surface of the coin on thespindle side-of the major diameter. The coin is thereby held betweentheinner surface 42 and abutments 44 of the opposing jaws. 1

The apexes of the V-shaped projections -38 are normally held on oppositesides of the axis of the spindle 26 at points equidistant therefrom by apair of torque springs 46. Each torque spring 46 has a pair of laterallyextending legs 48, one end of which is suitably fixed to the U-shapedbracket28 while its other leg is suitably fixed to a respective one ofthe crossing levers 22. In the normal condition of the torque springs46, the

apexes of the V-shaped projections 38 are spaced apart by a distanceless than the diameter of the smallest coin which the jaws are intendedto grasp.

The jaws 20 are adapted to, when in a'horizontal position,

be moved axially by the spindle 26 into the slot 18 to grasp a coin asabove described. Thereafter the coin is withdrawn by the jaws as thespindle 26 is withdrawn to move a coin to a dis play position showngenerally in F IG. 1 of the drawings.'ln the display position shown inthe drawings, the spindle 26 can be revolved to support either side ofthe coin at any angle desired by the viewer. In the embodiment shown, amagnifying glass 50 is held by the pedestal in position to view a coinwhen in theviewing position shown in the drawings. In the preferred embodiment shown, the magnifying glass 50 is supported by an I..-

shaped bracket 52, the horizontalleg of which supports the magnifyingglass, and the opposite leg of which has an opening through which thebrass bushing 30 extends. The magnifying glass can be moved radiallyabout the bushing 30 without changing the distance therefrom and can beclamped in any desired radial position by means of a setscrew 54.

The device shown is adapted to automatically release a coin held by thejaws 20 when the spindle 26 is withdrawn outwardly from the viewingposition shown. The release is accomplished by a tapered abutmentsurface 56 that is supported at a location to engage the jaw spreadingends 58 of the crossing levers 22 to bias the levers 22 apart as thespindle 26 is pulled away from the coin magazine 12 from the viewingposition of I ported by the pedestal with the open end of the magazinedirectly below the point where the jaws 20 release the coins. The coinrelease position of the jaws will be hereafter called the dischargelocation. The receiving magazine 22 may be identically shaped with thesupply magazine 12 and may be supported from the pedestal by means of arecess identically shaped with the recess 16. The preferred embodimentis also provided with a lamp 64 that is housed within the L-shapedbracket 52 directly below its horizontal leg so that the bracket 52 willshield the light of the lamp from the eyes of the viewer. The lamp maybe supplied from any source of electricity, and is preferably suppliedwith electricity by an electrical cord adapted to be connected to a 110volt alternating current socket.

The device so far described is used by grasping the end of the spindlebetween the index finger and the thumb and rotating the spindle untilthe jaws 20 are horizontal. Thereafter the spindle is slid inwardly tomove the jaws 20 into the slot 18 until the apex of the V-shapedprojections slide over the side edges of a coin to grasp the coinbetween their rear surfaces 42 and the abutments 44. Thereafter, thespindle 26 is withdrawn to the display position shown in the drawingswhere the spindle is then rotated 180 to bring the opposite side of thecoin in view beneath the magnifying glass. Thereafter, the operatorpulls the spindle outwardly to cause the rollers 60 to move up theabutment surface 56 to spread the jaws 20 apart. The receiving magazine62 is directly below the discharge position of the jaws and the cointhen falls into the receiving magazine. The spindle 26 is then slidforwardly again to enter the slot 18 and repeat the operation.

Referring to FIG. 3, the spindle 26 is provided with a guide pin 70 andthe bushing 30 is provided with a guide groove having a firstlongitudinally extending portion 72. The first portion 72 of the guidegroove extends from a position occupied by the pin 70 when the jaws 20are in the slot 18 to a position which it occupies when the jaws are inthe display position shown in FIG. I.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 through 3, the guide groove has asecond portion 74 which extends radially for 180 to permit the pin 70and spindle 26 to rotate 180 while the jaws are in the display position.The guide groove includes a third portion 76 which is located at theopposite end of the radial portion 74. The third portion 76 extendslongitudinally from the radial portion 74 in the direction away from themagazine 12. The radial portion 74 is located in the end of the bushing30, and the third portion 76 is located in a cap 78 that is threadedonto the end of the bushing 30. The third groove portion 76 receives theguide pin 70 when the jaws are moved from their display positionoutwardly to the coin release position. The rollers 60 engage theabutment face 56 during the time that the pin 70 moves longitudinally inthe groove portion 76. The process is repeated by sliding the spindleinwardly, rotating it 180 in the viewing position and then sliding thespindle inwardly to pick up another coin.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the spindle can be slidlongitudinally from the release position to the pickup position withoutrotating the spindle in the viewing position. Those portions of theembodiment shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 which correspond to similar portionsof the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 through 3 are designated by a likereference numeral characterized further in that a prime mark is affixedthereto. This is accomplished in the embodiment shown in the drawings byproviding a counterbore 80 in the end of the bushing 30' which providesa radial second portion 74 of the groove which extends for 360 aroundthe spindle. An annular disc 82 is clamped between the end of thebushing 30 and the cap 78' to form the end wall of the counterbore 80.The disc 82 is serrated to provide a spring portion 84 which is hingedat its bottom to the disc 82 and which extends clockwise about thespindle 26'. The spring portion 84 extends diagonally forward across theradial groove 74 so as to cam the pin 70 counterclockwise to bring thetop side of a coin parallel with the magnifying glass when the spindleis withdrawn from the supply magazine. Thereafter, the spindle 26' canbe rotated either for another in the same direction to expose the bottomof the coin or can be rotated clockwise while pulling axially on thespindle 26 to bend the spring 84 out of the way and allow the pin toproceed clockwise past the spring until the bottom side of the coin isparallel with the magnifying glass. Thereafter, the spindle is rotatedcounterclockwise to bring the pin downwardly upon the top surface of thespring 84 to cam the pin 70 into a longitudinally extending slot 76' inthe cap 78'. The rollers 60 engage the abutment face 56' during the timethat the pin 70' moves longitudinally in the slot 78' to release a coinheld by the jaws into the receiving magazine 62'. The process isrepeated by simply sliding the spindle 26' forwardly without rotation.The pin 70' then bends the spring 84 downwardly so that the pin 70passes directly into the groove section 72 which holds the jaws inproper alignment for insertion into the slot 18. The bottom of thegroove 72 is notched out as at 86 to receive the spring 84 as the pin 70is slid over the top of the spring 84 into the groove section 72'.

While the invention has been described in considerable detail, I do notwish to be limited to the particular embodiment shown and described, andit is my intention to cover hereby all novel adaptations, modifications,and arrangements thereof which come within the practice of those skilledin the art to which the invention relates.

I claim:

1. A coin display device comprising: a pedestal, a spindle, a pair ofcrossing jaws pivoted at their crossover point to said spindle, firstmeans mounting said spindle on said pedestal for longitudinal slidingmovement forwardly and rearwardly of said means and for rotation of saidspindle relative to said opened when said spindle is moved rearwardly tobring said portions of the jaws located rearwardly of said crossoverpoint against the tapered abutment.

2. The coin display device of claim 1 including: guide means forcontrolling rotational and sliding movement of said spindle, said guidemeans having a portion which allows at least approximately 180 ofrotation of the spindle when said jaws are in a display locationintermediate said magazine and said discharge location, and having aportion which restrains spindle rotation to guide said jaws into thejaw-receiving opening of said magazine.

3. The coin display device of claim 2 wherein said guide means comprisesa laterally projecting pin on said spindle which is received in a guideslot supported by said base, said guide slot having a first portionextending parallel to the axis of said spindle between its locationwhere said jaws enter said slot and where said jaws approach saiddisplay location, said guide slot having a second portion extendingradially around said spindle at the location of said pin when said jawsare in said display location, and said guide slot having a third portionextending parallel to the axis of said spindle in the location traversedby said pin when said jaws are moved from said display location to saiddischarge location.

4. The coin display device of claim 3 wherein said guide means includesa guide spring located in said second portion of said guide slot on itswall opposite said first portion of said guide slot, said guide springhaving a normal position extending-diagonally across said second portionto deflect said pin radially and prevent axial pin passage from saidfirst portion of said guide slot directly into said third portion ofsaid guide slot, said guide slot having clearance intd which said guidespring moves clear of said first portion whe said pin is moved axiallyfrom said third portion directly to saFi second portion.

